Ossining Redesigns Village Seal

OSSINING, NY — After years of talking about it, the Ossining Board of Trustees has unveiled a new official village seal.

"For over 75 years, the village's seal depicted an indigenous person in profile in honor of the original dwellers of the land upon which Ossining was settled. When this seal was first introduced, 'Indians' were popular symbols for schools and other institutions," Mayor Rika Levin said in her May 24 email to residents.

However, she said, as the use of indigenous persons' images and use as mascots has come under scrutiny over the past decade and more, while understanding that many village residents felt an attachment to the 'Indian' Seal, the trustees thought a fresh review was in order.

The Board got input from the community, re-evaluated the format and determined that the new seal should include a graphic that is distinctly Ossining and looks towards a bright future, flanked by architectural design evocative of the Village’s historic past.

"The center of the redesigned seal features some of the community's greatest assets – Ossining's Downtown, historic architecture, Main Street Corridor, and the Hudson River Waterfront," she said. "I want to express my appreciation for the community's feedback, insight, and collaboration and for Ossining’s local graphic design artist, Brian Sheridan of Hothouse Designs, who synthesized all of that feedback into a beautiful seal that differentiates our Ossining on the River."

The village/town recreation department has been using a different seal for years.